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GREAT WEIGHT-CARRYING HORSES Brilliant Achievements of Slieen and Willonyx in Winning the Cesarewitch Under Heavy Imposts. It used to be a tradition that no animal handi-qAned at 120 pounds or over could be seriously reveled as n prospective winner of the Cesnrewitch, and for over a half century the popular belief was supported by facts. The famous long-distance handicap was instituted in the second year of Queen Victorias leign, and it was not until 1890 that the race was carried oft by a horse with 12C pounds or more in the saddle. The animal to distinguish himself by beating the previous best was the five-year-old Slieen, owned by the Russian sportsman, Prince Soltykoff. Sheen was a son of Hampton Radiancy, by Tib-thorpe Meteor, and was bred by the Prince. There was nothing about his juvenile career suggestive of great things in the future. As a matter of fact, the colt was only once placed in four attempts in his two-year-old days, and as in this instance there were only live runners all told there was nothing gaudy about the performance. lie did much better as a three-year-old. Following a couple of failures, he recorded his first win in the Ascot Derby, run over the Swinley Course, but was unplaced in a mile event the next afternoon. Then he upset the substantial odds laid on Galore in First July "Week, and subsequently won three of the remaining five races in which lie took part that year a dead heat with Sir George Chetwynds Grafton at Kempton Park representing one of his successes. In his third season Slieen won thrice in a half-dozen efforts, capturing a "biennial" at the Craven meeting, and beating Benburb in the Jockey Club Cup late in the year. Sheens Final Season. The son of Hampton took some time to find his form in his fourth and final season, being unsuccessful in liis first three races. When he once got going, however, there was no stopping him. He beat a good band for a handicap over the Suffolk Stakes course at the Newmarket Second July Meeting, his next appearance being in the Cesarewitch, in which he was set to carry 128 pounds. The French filly Alicante was backed down to 5 to 2 against, Sheens final quotation being 1,000 to 30 against. There were more than the usual number of French visitors, the majority of whom, of course, were faithful to M. Ephrussis filly. Moreover, they had a good run for their money, to apply, the vernacular. As the horses came down the hill the favorites victory was loudly proclaimed, but Sheen was handy and going well and later it was evident that the top-weight had the measure of the "invader," and In; finally won comfortably by a couple of lengths, and another "record" had been established. The merit of Sheens performance was naturalls recognized and Prince Soltykolt, Tom Jennings, Sr., and Fred Webb were all warmly congratulated. Webb, who rode a patient and well-judged race, had won the race twenty-one years earlier on Mr. Naylors Cherie. Webb was then a young lightweight, as may be gathered from the fact that Cherie carried only seventy-seven pounds. He-verting to Sheen, it may be observed that had not rain fallen heavily a couple of days before the race, the five-year-olds would probably not have run, and the modest commission with which he was entrusted was not "placed" until the eleventh hour. Sheen ran but once more, in a plate over the last two miles of the Cesarewitch course, which lie won easily. Advent of Willonyx. Two or three attempts to put the record of Slieen in the shade were made later, notably by The White Knight, which ran second to Demure in 1907, with 13S pounds on his back, but twenty-one years elapsed ere the record of Hamptons son was beaten. The Willonyx came along and won the race, carrying three pounds more than the burden under which Sheen had won. Willonyx was the property of Mr. C. E. Howard, and was a son of William the Third Tribonyx. He ran but once as a two-year old, being unplaced to Lonawand in a race at Kempton Park on Easter Monday. As a three-year-old Willonyx was more busily engaged, taking part in no fewer than thirteen races, of which he won five. He had no difficulty in beating a moderate band for a maiden race at Kempton Park, while he was even less troubled to dispose of a commoner called Sanhedrin in a race at Liugfield in June. At Ascot he beat Hay-den, Islington Green and several others in the High-Weight Stakes, while he defeated AVhisk Broom and two others in the Knowsley Dinner Stakes. His final Victory was in the Free Handicap at the. Houghton meeting, in which he beat Thalia by a neck. It was not, however, until he had attained the age of four years that Willonyx developed his full powers. He certainly failed to concede 114 pounds to King Midas in a race in Craven week; but thereafter his career was an uninterrupted round of brilliant successes. He led off by winning the Chester Cup with 114 pounds up, following which he easily won the Ascot Stakes with two pounds more in the saddle. A couple of days later lie won the Gold Cup by a neck from Charles OMalley, with Deelnre, Yellow Slave and Greenback also in the field. Another Record Put Up. Then came his Cesarewitch triumph. Notwithstanding the fact that he was carrying more than Sheens "record" weight, he had so many friends that he started joint favorite with Mirador at 9 to 2 against, others to be backed being Martingale II. and Papavero. Hidden by W. Higgs, the son of William the Third reached the winning post three parts of a length in advance of Martingale II., with Papavero third, five lengths farther away. There were, by the way, one or two ""incidents" in connection with the race. Wolftoi sustained a broken leg, while Stephen Donoghue, who rode Clarenceux, complained that he was nearly knocked over by Clannish. Though the stewards agreed that Donoghue was justified in his complaint, they exonerated Clannishs rider. Willonyx wound up by beating Martingale II. by twenty lengths in the Jockey Club Cup. The following season he entered upon stud duties at a fee of 300 guineas. That both Sheen and Willonyx wei-e downright good horses on the days of their respective triumphs, admits of no argument. Opinion may, however, differ as to which was the more meritorious performance. Probably that of Prince Soltykoffs champion will bear the closer inspection, in spite of the fact that Mr. Howards colts burden was the heavier. Alicante, the runner-up to Sheen, was considered a reasonably good thing for the longdistance handicap, and that she was a filly of more than average excellence was evidenced when .she easily beat a big band for the Cambridgeshire a fortnight later. Other of Sheens victims were "Vasistas, Fallow Chat, Silver Spur, Gousalvo, Shall We Rememlier and Partington, all of whom won substantial prizes In their time. Willonyx, on the other hand, was somewhat favored by the quality of the opposition,, which with two or three exceptions, was composed of moderate animals, the pick of the basket being Dalmatian, Yellow Slave, the penalized Trepida, Columbus and Clarenceux. Even so, however, the Cesarewitch victory of Willonyx ranks as one of his greatest achievements, if not the greatest. "J. F. P." in London Sporting Life.
